WI vs ENG Match Preview
Shai Hope will lead the team with Alzarri Joseph as his deputy. As the leading run-scorer for the West Indies, Hope will play a crucial role in the batting line-up. With the retirement of Shane Dowrich, he is the only wicket-keeper on the squad. Kjorn Ottley, who performed well in the recent Super50, has been called up after almost two years and will be an important player in the middle order alongside Shimron Hetmeyer.
Brandon King and Alick Athanaze complete the batting lineup. All-rounder Sherfane Rutherford is expected to make his ODI debut and contribute important runs towards the end. In the seam department, Matthew Forde will join Alzarri Joseph, Romario Shepherd, and Oshane Thomas, while Yannic Cariah and Gudakesh Motie are the two spinners on the squad.
The England squad has undergone some changes to bring in some fresh energy, with Jos Buttler remaining as captain for the entire tour. Ollie Pope is set to make his ODI debut and will join Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley at the top of the order. The top 3 run-getters for England in the World Cup, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, and Joe Root, along with Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali, and Bairstow, have been dropped.
This means that Harry Brook will play a crucial role in the middle order, while Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone will continue as all-rounders. England has also opted for a new-look seam attack, consisting of Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, and Josh Turner, with Rehan Ahmed and Tom Hartley featuring in the spin department.
Weather Report
The weather is likely to be warm and humid with temperatures of between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius.
Pitch Report
The pitch in Antigua is well-balanced and we can expect an even contest between the bat and the ball. The average first-inning score on this ground is around 250. The surface is hard and offers a good amount of pace and bounce. The seamers will be able to get some movement with the new ball.
Notable stats
Brandon King: Value Pick
Brandon King has been a consistent performer for West Indies over the past few months. He has scored 570 runs in his last 14 innings at an average of 40.70. His knocks include 2 centuries and 3 half-centuries.
Team News
Josh Tongue, who was originally picked for this series, is injured and has been replaced by Matthew Potts.
WI vs ENG Probable 11
WI Playing 11
- Shai Hope (C)
- Brandon King
- Alick Athanaze
- Shimron Hetmeyer
- Keacy Carty
- Sherfane Rutherford
- Roston Chase
- Alzarri Joseph
- Romario Shepherd
- Gudakesh Motie
- Oshane Thomas
ENG Playing 11
- Jos Buttler (C)
- Ben Duckett
- Zak Crawley
- Harry Brook
- Ollie Pope
- Sam Curran
- Liam Livingstone
- Brydon Carse
- Gus Atkinson
- Rehan Ahmed
- Matthew Potts
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing England to win this match. They have a good record against the West Indies and that will give the team some amount of advantage going into this contest. Also, the visitors have managed to put together a well-balanced squad that is likely to be effective on the pitch at Antigua.
Top Picks
Shai Hope: Shai Hope is the leading run-scorer for the West Indies this year. He has scored 632 runs at an average of 63.20 and a strike rate of 96.19.
Sam Curran: A quality all-rounder, Curran has picked up 14 wickets in his last 11 matches and has also scored 212 runs.
Jos Buttler: Known for his explosive brand of batting, Buttler has scored 686 runs this year at an average of 38.11 and a strike rate of 107.52.
WI vs ENG Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: J Buttler (C), S Hope (VC)
Batters: S Hetmyer, H Brook, B Duckett, B King
All-rounders: S Curran
Bowlers: A Joseph, R Shepherd, B Carse, G Atkinson
